Midnight Oil Tales: Original Cyn
by Nikkoish
Summary: Something, somewhere... is different. A tension in the air of daily life. Most, who never notice, are blessed. Some things weren't meant to be solved... or accomplished. Genre versatile... It's too complex to explain. Please take a look.UPDATE:Woo,ACTION!
1. 1st Tangent

OOC Info:  
() This does have an original character (or two or three, if you include the minors that only appear to push along the 'story')  
For full effect, listen to a couple of Mew songs, like 156. Not Tokyo Mew Mew, MEW. Just found them out- they're beautiful. Such as She Spider. 'Frengers' is a wonderful CD... Or maybe some Frou Frou. XD It's a slow, Frou Frou Mew mix. Oh, shut up, you know you love it.;P coughs Anywho.

This fic is, as mentioned, almost completely written after the time of 12:00, when everyone else is asleep and I sneak out to type away. (this is why I've named these latenight/early morning fics 'midnight oil' just right nowXD) Therefore, spelling mistakes MAY be rampant. I would attempt to edit them, but meh. Later on.  
This fic was originally posted on a forum (the FoxKids one- I love buggering 10-year-olds), in slices of two- hence the little --x--'s to semiseperate things. The place had a word limit, that I frequently went over, so that's why they may seem a little miniature at times.() I'll be updating 'chapters' in slices of 4- after this first chapter. I don't wonder that, with my rambliness, that this might not ever move along quickly. There's a good chance I may just get to #50 before summer's over.XD  
Also, though there IS an Original Character in there, I want you to give her a chance. She's not a Mary-Sue, not like me in most respects, physically or otherwise (except the fact that I lack any one personality type that'll stick around for more than a few minutes- no, I'm not schitzo). She also has a point.  
I was not aware what a popular name Licorice was- I just liked the idea and it fit her well. I just strolled in and saw a bunch with the same name as a 'Mew Mew'(which I'm not saying she is or ever will be.>>).  
There are some romantic overtones, but I'm not attempting to set anyone up with anyone else AT ALL. Whatever happens, fucking happens. I'm not gonna worry about anything but what pops into my mind at the time.

I'm a fan of the original, so I'll be using those names. I REALLY would appreciate people bothering to read through my ramble-crap.XD  
I've also seen about a baker's dozen of episodes, (up to 12, if you're in order- I WANT #13 AND 39 SO BAD! GWAHHH!X3)

/ramble crapxDD

presses play on the recorder, sits back and watches Enjoy.

Sleep stole over her body.

Utter darkness, all around. Spinning in space.

...

Silence. The girl gazed forwards, not really taking in anything with her lifeless eyes. A ...spark was missing from her body, her being.

Something wasn't right.

Ryou rested the back of his palm against her cheek, watching her for a reaction of any sort. Her skin was sapped of any warmth. Not that she was even cold to the touch, it was just... heatless. No blood pumped through her veins to warm her body or put flush in her papery cheeks. She didn't even blink.

Ryou Shirogane (or Shirogane Ryou, or even Elliot Grant, depending on your culture flavor of preference) had decided to do something nice today. Something, maybe, out of the ordinary, to see the sights beyond the stark-pink walls of Cafe Mew Mew and the four bare walls of his 'home', or, most importantly, the cold metal monitors stationed beneath it all. Something to just... be different. And maybe because he savored the confused expression on poor Ichigo's face as he paid her both compliment, insult and service in one fell sentence. Ah, how he loved pushing her buttons.

Ryou Shirogane was shopping.

Yes, our beautiful tan-skinned, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy was toting the supplies for CMM's kitchen (using the perk that today's list was half the size as usual), and had even taken the extra time to stroll through not only a park, but go out of his way to visit Harajuku. There were so many things to silently laugh at and be amused about. However, he had just missed Harajuku's famed peak hours, and most of the cosplayers had already left. Traces of smudged make-up and blue hair dye were discernible from the teens walking away and laughing with their other friends (wearing foot-high platform sneakers, as well, mind. Hey, where'd you think he got the Mew Mew uniform ideas?).

Yet, it was actually in the afternoon sun just on the outskirts of Harajuku, left of the Nikko rv., that he found what would be the wind-up key to this most peculiar music box riddle of a day.

Ryou pursed his lips, slightly disconcerted at this lack of reaction. He gently tipped up her head, fingers fluttering about her chin, then turned it to the left. Something clicked inside, as her pupils dilated slightly. The crackled rush of air into her body filled the stilled air, her eyes slowly wandering beneath black eyeshadow towards the blonde's face. Ryou watched intently.

She exhaled.

"...uh?"

He almost laughed at the inarticulated query. Instead, he swapped on his classic one-sided smirk. "You in the land of the living now?"

Her lips parted slightly, as if making an attempt to speak, but she fell silent mid-word.

"...ah."

Her head slowly began to float down into its former position. Ryou drew back his face, trying to ignore his disappointment. He loved the reactions he recieved whenever he put himself so close to others, but this one seemed to refuse to cooperate. Ah well. "I'll take that as a 'no', but it's good enough." Ryou scratched his own chin in thought, still kneeling. His poor white pants would be a mess. "Now what to do with you?..." he shrugged to himself. "She's no business of mine, but now that I've poked my nose in I might feel bad if I find you in the obituarities for an O.D. or rap3 and murd3r. Why are you out here?"

"...eh."

"Hmph." Ryou crossed his tanned arms, giving a patented charming-yet-condescending chuckle. "Is grunting all you can do?"  
The girl turned up her face, the first actual movement she'd made on her own accord. She stared blankly at him with those unseeing eyes. Ryou tried to hid his mild shock.

"_Safely away from the world--" _She spoke. Ryou started in surprise- he really wasn't expecting a response.

"_In a dream, timeless domain... _"A dry crackle was all she was, her voice creeping in like the whispered wind between the crushed leaves scattered across the dead ground in autumn. It was an oddly poetic though, but as her vocal chords booted up, it was the only, if not slightly fruity, way he could think of describing it. Her eyes immediately focused intently on his. _"A child, dreamy eyed/ Mother's mirror, father's pride._"

His own sharp eyes widened. No more flowery English novels for him.

The girl looked plaintively up at him, the boy now standing fully upright. Four sharp shadows spread away from her dark body, her head turned cutely to one side as her bangs fell right into place. In a vaguely picturesque moment, the two opposites, heads tilted in the inverse of the other, one filled with inexplicable, unnamed emotions and the other as blank as a sheet. It felt like fear.

She smiled.

That's it. He swore off reading for good.

((Note:Just letting you know, I'm TRYING to be clean.XD I'm resisting the urge to curse, 'cause I love it so.))  
--x--

"Ichigo-oo tabeyouuu..." Ichigo Momomiya hummed gaily to herself, twirling about the Cafe as she featherdusted the ornamental pillars decorating the whitewashed walls, the table's flowers, refilling the vases, etc. "Lalala, lalalanya nya la"

Pudding beamed at Ichigo's happy mood, whisking herself and a teetering pile of plates towards her with a spin of her ball underfoot. "Na na, onee-chan, Ichigo wa" she poked her head over the girl's shoulder "genki desuka?"

"Hai hai!" Ichigo bobbed her head happily, her excitement noticeably building by her repetitive speech. "GENKI GENKI desu!"

"Ooh, did Aoyoma-kun come calling again?" Mint called, coquettishly as she could from her spot sipping raspberry tea and taste-testing the new sweetened crumpets recipe..for the fourth time today. Ichigo ignored her tone as her grin spread even wider (no need to look busy- Zakuro was out today on account of a day-long photo shoot. Foo!).

"Haiiii haiiiand he's taking me on a REAL DATE this time, with ice cream and a park visit and everything and no nature in siiiight! Eeee, I can't waiiit-- oop!" she tripped over her own shoelaces in her bouncing about (Rule #1 of the Mew Mews- NEVER try and keep up with Purin's energy!♥url"http/ nearly crashing into one of the pearly chairs. She shot out her free hand, doing a quick flip that landed her atop the wobbling table, kitten ears and tail popping out involuntarily to balance her. "Whoa!"

"Ahh!"Lettuce clung to her broom, watching the tottering table fearfully. "I thought I'd fixed that table's leg!"

"Na, baaaka Ichigo!" drawled the bird from the corner, idly watching with one eye closed. She sipped the tea again, pinky finger splayed out delicately. "Now poorRetasu will have to take out the washrag again and clean up the entire table! You're going to spill the vase's water, as well. I just filled that up, too." She paused, watching the girl stabilize, temporarily dropping her teasing tone and cup. "Careful getting down, now."

Ichigo nodded, hopping off the table ever-so-cautiously (with some ill-placed help from Purin-on-ze-circus-ball), unscathed. The table, unfortunately, had some scuffs on it...to say the very least. To put it rather bluntly, it looked horrid. In all honesty, it looked as though a swallow had decided to do the Electric Slide in its own defecations before singnig it in permanently with a burning coconut (Well, it could have been a South African swallow. But then, they're non-migratory...). How one pair of dirty, firmly cleated pink Magical Girl shoes could torture one piece of furniture so quickly was astounding. Then again, she is part cat, and they're not known for their friendly terms with furniture. Nevertheless, I digress.

Ichigo paled, sweatdropping in the midst of her utterly animated behavior. 

Good feelings gone.

Pudding tripped backwards on her ball, sending the striped prop to fly up in the air. She pulled out the air plug with her tail, letting it hiss to the floor as she

Ichigo trembled. Possible date gone, too, seeing how she'll never live to see another bright day of natural sunshine after this. Cue whine. "Ryou's gonna kill meee...!"

Lettuce's hands fluttered towards her mouth. One obligatory moment of silence follows...

Ticktickticktickbzzzt.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GOMEN NASAI GOMEN NASAI GOMEN NASAIIIIII!" In a fit of apologies that would put Ritsu Sohma (FuRuBa, minna?.) to shame(pun unintended), a furious flurry of noise and cacaphony which was PROBABLY intended to be apologetic ended up blowing out the eardrums of the poor gels. "I'VE COMPLETELY RUINED YOUR DATE! IF ONLY I'D CLEANED IT BETTER OR HAD GOTTEN TO LEARNING HOW TO FIX TABLES BETTER LIKE MINTO-SAN SAID OR HAD BEEN PAYING ATTENTION RYOU-SAN WOULDN'T NEED TO BUY A NEW TABLE OR FEEL ILL TOWARDS YOU IN ANY WAY! I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY! ALL PUNISHMENT IS MINE AND MINE ALONE! I-I'LL GIVE YOU MY PAYCHECK FOR A MONTH AND TRIPLE MY WORK! FORGIVE ME!"

The door opened. Panic switch off, surprise switch on. The door had been locked, and the only one not present that would be after hours was...wait. One, two...  
Ohh-h, god.

Reddened sunlight bathed the two figures in the doorway. The taller figure, hair golden in the copper-bronze aura of the noontime sun, his white pants and shirt glimmering silver about the edges. An arm extended from the sillhouette, placed gently upon the shorter figure's arms as if supporting her own frail body. Ichigo and company stared, amazed, dazed and overall feeling a vague state of surprise.

"Ryou..." Mint began, the now earless Ichigo much too stunned at the odd sight. She pointed a finger at the other long-haired, ravenlike figure in the doorway. She sounded immensely puzzled. "Why is there... a girl in a poufyLolita outfit next to you?"

o-- 

: Harajuku- a very interesting neighborhood. Google it. Believe me, you'll want to. It'll keep you entertained for HOURS.  
And yes, she really is wearing a Gothic Lolita maid outfit. 


	2. 2nd Tangent

"Na na, Ryou-kun, how old is she?" Pudding hopped over Ichigo's shoulder, staring wide-eyed at the peculiarity. "Where's she from? What's her name?" Poing poing.

"She hasn't said," Ryou drawled, shrugging as he removed his arm from about her shoulder. "I'd have to suppose she's about fourteen… You're about thirteen, right?"

"Not me, not me, Ichigo onee-chan is though!" Pudding spoke up giddily, once again killing that promise that I would cut out the Japanese, regardless of her own Chinese origins. Rawr.

"Whatever age it is, she has to be just a bit older than us." Ichigo peered at her face, amazed how one person could allow everything in the world rush past her like this. She wondered if they even noticed they were talking about her. Something seemed to flicker in recognition as Momomiya spoke within her. Hmm.

"Why, since you're so immature compared to her?"  
Concentration shattered, Ichigo stood upright, hotly. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"  
Ryou grinned slyly. "Not that it's such a difficult thing to do…you're such an overeager brat."

Ichigo clutched her head, seething. "Why—I—augh!"

"Has she said /_anything/_ yet?" Mint interrupted, slightly annoyed. Ryou's mind took him back in an unpleasant flash, and grimaced inwardly. He averted her gaze by looking sidelong at the silent girl. After a beat, she felt his eyes on her and gazed back out of the corner of her eye. His eyes shot away, unnerved. Hers hovered on him, then emotionlessly floated her gaze forwards again. Ichigo caught this, and couldn't help but feel a bit confused. Just what exactly had gone on between them?

"…No." Ryou finally wrestled from his throat, shifting his weight. He caught Keiichiro's eye, giving him a significant glare. Akasaka nodded. He did not bring this girl on a whim- something was not right about her.

"/I/ just think nobody's home," piped up Pudding, who was getting fidgety, fast.  
"Nothing at all?" Minto raised an eyebrow, yet Ryou had himself under control again. He gazed straight at her, very intent.

"Nothing."

Mint blushed for a moment, then shrugged it off easily, crossing her legs. "If you say so."

Lettuce brought up the courage to step closer, pushing her glasses up her small nose in bewilderment. "Could she maybe be… autistic?" she asked, in a hesitant, tiny voice.

Ryou pondered this for a moment, then shook his head. "She may be," he said, framing her face with his hands, "but I doubt it. Her face lacks any of the usual physical signs of autism, nor has she acted aware enough to be autistic. I doubt she would have been able to dress herself up in such an… outfit if she were completely incapacitated, either." He frowned thinly as he cupped the girl's chin in his hands again, checking again for any signs of intelligence or response. There had been something back there, he was sure…  
Ichigo seemed put off by this action, something bubbling beneath the surface at his action. She knew that move of his too well, the jerk… odd thing was, though, she didn't react adversely at all, gazing forwards dimly at him. The unnamed feeling sloshed violently.

After a moment, Ryou let her go, sighing. "I don't know what's with her, truly…"

"Then why did you bring her with you off of a street corner like that?" Ichigo was surprised herself at the slight snap in her voice. There was something… unsettling about someone else getting 'special treatment'.

Pudding snaked beneath Lettuce and Ichigo's legs, leaping up to snatch at something about the girl's frill-laced collar. "Look look! She has on a necklace!"

It was a long, silver rectangle on a chain, slightly curved into the shape of a concave mirror (shiny as it was, it did reflect everything about.) It flashed as the blonde monkey flipped it upside-down, inspecting the katakana written on the back.

"Pudding, what are you-" Lettuce started, stuttering.

"Ooh, it says something inside…"

"Purin, You can't just go grabbing expensive jewelry on-"  
"It's not real silver, silver's softer. It looks more like plain metal or pewter to me," added Minto unhelpfully.

"If you'll just listen for a minute, please!" Pudding insisted loudly, allowing her a moment of pause long enough to read the childish writing.

"Well…"

"Well?" asked Ichigo, curiously.

"At least we know her name now," she said slowly, trying not to giggle.

Keiichiro stepped forwards, gently taking the necklace 'pendant' from the child. "If I may…"  
"Uhn," nodded Pudding happily, bouncing back to let the others peer in.

My Name is Licoris.--

Please take good care of me!♥--

Licoris, becoming more aware by the minute, gazed down at the flashing silver metal (or pewter, as the case may be) with several heads crowded about it. From out of her apron's front pocket, she withdrew a CD betwixt her middle and forefinger. She chewed gently on the clear rim, surveying the confused bunch.  
"I…?"

Three pairs of heads shot up. Hoo boy.

x--

"**Anata wa Licoris desu_ka?"  
"_**Anata wa Licoris desuka?"  
"Iie, you say 'WATASHI wa Licoris desu'. Watashi, me. Anata, you. Watashi wa Purin desuyo!"  
"Anata…wa Purin desuka."  
"No no, -ka is added for question, -yo is for exclamation. Let's try this again. Watashi wa Purin desuka?"  
"H…Hai."  
"Hai…..?"  
"Hai, watashi-"  
"Nooo!"  
"/Anata/ wa Purin desu. …Ne?"  
"Hai haiii! Banzaii! Now, repeat after me. '**watashi wa Licoris desu'."**

"Watashi…"  
"You'd think she'd never spoken in her life," Ryou commented, watching Pudding teach 'Licoris' the Wonders of Speech at one of the empty tables. Lettuce had stuck around to watch(and try sneakily hiding that scuffed table), Mint long gone for ballet practice and Ichigo needing to report to her parents before it was completely dark. Ryou had made it clear they wouldn't be paid overtime. Keiichiro smiled. "Iie, she's learning much too fast for that." He turned his head, understanding the far-off look in his charge's eyes. "What do you think she is?"  
Ryou watched on, deep in thought. "…I don't know."

"Shall we… 'keep her'?"

"Huh," he scoffed, dour. "Not like we have much of a choice. What are we going to do, turn her in to the authorities?" He fell silent again. "Besides… there's something… just off about her."

Keiichiro blinked, surprised. "Do you mean she's…?"  
"Yes. No. Augh…" The blonde shook his head, clearing his troubled thoughts. "We'll find out soon enough."

o--

"No home?"  
The black-enveloped doll shook her head lightly.

Ryou crossed his arms, thinking deeply on a plan of action. He couldn't just turn her out for the night. "Where were you before I… before you were near that alley?" he caught himself mid-sentence, cautiously rethinking his choice of words.

"Ha..ra..ju ku?" her head rolled onto her shoulder, looking for Pudding's face. The Tamarin(or tangerine)-infused Mew nodded approvingly, giving a thumbs-up. Her eyes flicked back to Ryou. She may only speak a word at a time, but it was an improvement.

Ryou sighed, exasperated. "Well, that was a bit of a given." He gestured towards her clothes. Her white, frilled maid's headband was drooping over her bangs, and one of the earphones from the radio Ichigo begrudgingly lent her was flopped on her lap. He resisted the urge to fix the disorderly mess. Must…make…everything…neat… ggahh… This isn't Ichigo, you can't afford to scare her off.  
He needn't've worried. Licoris looked down at her outfit, forgetting she even had such an outrageous outfit on. "...uhn."

"sigh Not back to grunts again…"  
"Grunts?"  
"() Ahh, nothing, nothing! () ()"

"Hmm…"

"Anyways," Ryou cleared his throat, mentally smacking himself. "We need somewhere for you to stay. I can't just let whoever just walks up to the Café use this as an /inn/."

They all knew this to be true. They couldn't risk something like this, but most especially with their large secret hidden right underground. Lettuce glanced at the floor, nervously. Pudding pouted. "Where will she stay?"  
"The doorstep always works."

Licoris blinked.

"Ryouuu-kunnn! Not funny!"

"I'd let her sleep at my house, but I don't think my parents would allow her on such short notice…" Lettuce spoke, softly.

Ryou smiled at Lettuce, nearly patting her on the head before he remembered himself. "Don't worry. We're not asking that of you."

"I've no room at my house, either. Maybe send her to onee Minto-chan's?"  
"I-I don't think Mint would like that very much, either…"

"Ichigo?"  
"Uwaa, you always pick on poor Ichigo-channn!"  
Ryou raised his hands in front of him as a truce, wielding off the pouting monkey-girl. "All right! All right!" Keiichiro shook his head solemnly. "I'm afraid we have no alternative but to turn her out. I hate to say it, but…"  
Ryou gave him a warning look, its meaning plainly written on his serious expression; 'We cant lose her. It's too risky.' Keiichiro gazed back sadly with those understanding eyes. 'I know.' Defeated, the young genius ran his fingers through his forelocks, as he often does when he's caught without a solution. How exasperating.  
"It's the only way. We must turn her out."  
"But Ryou! That's awful!" Lettuce started, quieting again quickly. "I know, we all know…how horrible it is to be alone…"

Pudding, as always, interrupted the potentially heavy silence with her antics. She bounced over to the poor girl's chair, her sunny yellow outfit contrasting the greytones drastically. "Especially in THAT outfit. You need to wear some regular clothes." She poked a finger at Licoris' nose, peeking her own over the chair's ornamental back. "We'll see what we can do to fix you up tomorrow, okeh? I'm latelatelate and I've gotta go home. I've four mouths to feed yet! Ja ne, matte!"

As Pudding raced out the door, waving her arms, Ryou couldn't help but chuckle. "Honestly, my life would be much less stressful without you girls…" Lettuce blushed beside Licoris, who looked up innocently at the girl's extremely heated face. Long hair fell from her shoulder, dripping onto the chair's seat like a river of ink.

"Uhn? …Re?"

"G-gomen ne…"

Ryou looked over at the two girls, one blushing furiously as the other stared up glassy-eyed, both in their own ways, innocent children trapped in a teenager's body. She really was a mess.

"What?" he asked, not quite getting what brought about the reaction- not that you needed such for Lettuce. The emerald girl bowed apologetically twice, then scattled out the door. Ryou shook his head after the girl in disbelief, Keiichiro laughing quietly at the charm of it all near the staircase. Life certainly was interesting with Ryou, not matter what flavor of personality he was with. It always had been.

x--

That face. It was so complex, so bothered. A childhood genius, who was stumped for an answer. He always looked like he was a belligerent three-year-old when he was visibly stumped, which granted had only been about thrice in all her time knowing him. Like he couldn't figure it out. Ryou ALWAYS figured out everything, and quite quickly. The machines and the data were only to help quicken the pace. Ryou always figured out what was going on, and consequently, he was the one who got them through their strange life. He was who they all counted on to tell them what they needed and where to go next, and… why they were even in this position in the first place.

Ichigo beat herself on the head with her fists, trying to knock the thoughts from her head. 'Gwaahhhh, why am I thinking about that jerk Ryou or even that weird girl when I have my date with Aoyoma-kun to worry about! What am I gonna wearrr, what am I gonna wearrrr…"

Still, as she calmed down, the thoughts floated back in. Why was Ryou so close to her? He never came PHYSICALLY close to anyone that wasn't Keiichiro or her, when he felt like annoying her. The times she's had her chin grabbed or cheek pinched or been nigh on MOLESTED were countless. Though, to his credit, most of the more embarrassing moments were due to Kisshu (or Kiss-You, which he had a despairing tendency to try to act upon that nickname more often than she liked!). The Chimera Animals lately had stemmed a little about here… maybe they'd just been getting better at this crime-fighting thing? Ichigo pressed a finger to her lower lip, humming to herself. Though was it really crime-fighting? It was more just passing back whatever volleys the aliens threw at them, and they just waited around 'til Ryou told them where they would serve on the court next. Not that her fuka wasn't absolutely kawaii, but…

Ichigo sat up on her bed in a panic. Oh no! She'd forgotten to take her cell phone from out of her pocket after changing into her Café uniform today! Poor Masha's probably in the washer right now! She scrambled over her stuff on the floor, running barefoot downstairs to the hamper and hoping her mother had forgotten the laundry again. "Muuuuum!"

o--


	3. 3rd Tangent

To my first review(evarrr!XD)- I'll keep that in mind.:3 I've four full parts finished, and I'm 3/4 done with the 5th.I'll keep your helpful comments in mind, though. Thanks for giving it a read, Mad!  
I used the disgusting amount of Japanese for Pudding since I can't really give her that Chinese flavor she carries. In the original manuscript I'd actually put an IC note about me tuning down on the Japanese, but I kinda went 'screw it'.() The japanese bulk for Licoris was mostly as if she were reteaching(or teaching, as the case may be)her Language again- since, though I type in English, it's originally all Japanese (when it's called Tokyo Mew Mew, you kinda guess that:3). Also,those days with the Pudding-speach, a friend was teaching me how to speak Japanese(It's hard, uwaa!), so a lot of schematics were stuck in my head. You won't be seeinghalfof that after this, I promise.:3 Except for maybe a few 'na no da's, since you mentined it. noddle Sankyuu again for taking the time for a response! Enjoy tangent 3.:3

And- ooh, I'll have to check out the yaoi TMM in your favorites.Heheheh... Sounds interesting.

I'd put in the disclaimer of not owning TMM, but since it's on I think that's a mite obvious. Continuing on!

(Note; some of the symbols might have been deleted, due to being an ass like that. So, if there's a scrambled heart or missing action-star-thing, that's why.)

* * *

The whitewashed, wooden legs of the Café Mew always scraped the polished floor so much more noisily after twilight. 

Shirogane pulled out a chair, tiredly flopping backwards into the chair with his cup in hand. He pulled his arms over the back of the chair, lying his head against the cool metal. The chairs were always so much more soothing at these hours, though. He sighed, relaxed, as the chill caressed his throbbing forehead. Sometimes he wish he didn't think as much as he did. It always led to bad memories, complicated questions without anyone to answer, and unspoken pleas of his emotions that he refused to acknowledge. He rolled his head a little, enjoying the moment before the cool smoothness warmed from his own filled head's body heat. He never had slept well after that day, long ago.  
He opened his eyes long enough to look through the kitchen door at the large Felix clock on the wall.

1:56 AM. He was up a little later than usual.  
Which was a curious thing, since more had been running through his mind than usual. He hadn't even known that was possible. At least that's one question answered.  
"That girl…" he spoke aloud, softly in the familiar emptiness occupying the later to be bustling café. "She obviously had no idea what she was doing, or what I was, for that matter." Ryou had noted, with some degree of satisfaction, Ichigo's expression as he interacted with Licoris in rather familiar ways. He smiled, mentally, thinking up many ways to exploit this new discovery to his advantage. The thought alone of her flustered face gave him a strange warmth in the core of his being. He watched the heat wave and swirl from the muddied surface of the water tainted by extracted essences of countless herbs and spices. Keiichiro's home brews were always experimental, but he didn't feel up to one. His cooking may be amazing, but his forays into cultural ceremonies was less than miraculous to the taste buds. Plain Earl Grey seemed to be what he needed right now. He wondered what time he last had Earl Grey. His finger slid about the rim of the cup, inhaling the scent once more before raising it to his olive lips. He savored it.

"Mmm."

Enough about the strange child. He'd think no more of that experience behind the alley, nor wonder what Keiichiro had told her as he led her away from the Café the night before. Not even what he would say when he gave back Ichigo her CD player, since she would most likely be late from blabbing overtime about that uninteresting Masaya guy. Especially not about that.

He would just… enjoy the moment.

"_From my boat, I can see your house...  
And when the lights are on… I can watch you move.  
Hear the wind whispering your name. Twice the encouragement  
Of the real you."_

Ryou froze. He was not hearing what he thought he did.

"_Callie, in the summer rain  
You will be kept dry, you see, "_

He closed his eyes. No, no, no.  
_"If you got the money for me..."  
_It was.

Great. There goes his morning solitude.  
_"Making amends for distant wrong_

_Sincere..."  
_The blonde rolled his eyes, exasperated. They had taken the CD Player from her, right? His eyes darted to the front cashier. How could she still be singing the songs, then? They returned her CD, yes, but…

He opened the door, calmly. On the porch, curled up on the cement step, was a girl in an overflowing Lolita gown, her maid headband askew as her hair splayed rivers into the grass below. Her eyes dilated, her body registering the movement behind her. Deep pupils drifted upwards, mouth obscured by locks of long hair. She raised her head, ripples echoing all around in the oceans of cloth and hair. The headband fell over one eye. Ryou just stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he looked down at her. She searched for something to say.  
"…Don't you just love goodbyes?"

"Well, I don't know about that." His expression didn't change as he exchanged gazes with the 'girl'. "But you, obviously, have a different opinion." Out of habit, a sarcastic smile crept up the left corner of his mouth. She smiled back.  
"Watashi…wa Licoris desu. Nan… ji, desuka?"

He shook his head, knowing that this is the point in time where he sighs extravagantly and tutors the girl on her lack of manners or sense in general. However, she was just so far gone, he couldn't help but do the most inappropriate reply his mind could come up with. He laughed, silently. "Come on in. You'll get a cold, if it's possible for you."

Maybe he could teach her some etiquette about arriving 'fashionably late' as well as how to drink tea.

.--x--

Mint stared into her meal, her soupspoon untouched. Her grandmother looked at her curiously, wondering at this sudden loss of appetite. "Is something wrong with your bird's nest soup, dear?" Mint woke up, just realizing she was being talked to.  
"Oh? It's nothing…we just had a lot to do at the café yesterday. I'm a bit tired."

She smiled at Mint. "I'm so pleased to hear how hard you've been working on your own accord, Minto. You've really become a lovely, proper lady in such a short time. And you've gained so many more friends, as well!"  
"Uhuh…" Mint picked at the delicacy absently, completely ignoring her main course. She'd yet to take a bite. She couldn't get yesterday off of her mind… that strange, outsider girl. She was completely out of it- drugs were definitely hovering on the top of her possible explanations, and she wasn't the only one who'd thought of that. Yet, something about her… that emptiness… She hadn't smiled, once. No emotion, just obeying politely the monkey's pantomimes in front of her, parroting words. She didn't seem happy at all- she didn't seem to feel anything, truly. Like her whole body wasn't completely aware that she was supposed to be in that place. That obedient silence, her helplessness… thinly veiled, or not, yet elegant poise through it all, though she wasn't sure on the way. For some reason, she kept seeing bits of… herself.

As the maids took away the plates untasted and her nanny carried on, she couldn't help but wonder what daft person put it in their brain that maids outfits were such complicated, intricately extravagant outfits to assemble in the first place.

.--o--

Another? Maybe.XD Shut up. Nothing else to do. Some Ryou-ness will be in the future, since I'm so curious on what he does while the Mew Mews are fighting. What does he do, I wonder? We'll find out later..

Ichigo sighed heavily, feet feeling like weights as she dragged herself up the stairs of the café. She barely caught ANY sleep last night… uggh. Her date on Wednesday inched closer and closer, and she had been so giddy last night she'd not been able to catch barely a wink. A grueling day at school didn't help. Hopefully today wouldn't be so busy at the Café…or otherwise. She reached out her hand towards the doorknob, giving a tired sigh-

The door swung open in a flash, Ichigo quickly toppling backwards after having had a body shoved right into her.

"GWAH-!"  
Ryou appeared in the doorway, arms crossed in the usual fashion. "Here. Take her out for the day."

Ichigo blinked, balancing herself on the edge of the step. She looked at the heavy mess of black hair and fabric curiously. The memory of yesterday clicked into place as a grey-blue eyes turned to stare straight through her. She reddened, ducking away from the limp girl. Licoris tilted her head towards Ryou, looking at him questioningly like a new puppy does its master. He deftly pulled at one of the wire dangling from her right ears, unplugging part of her headphones. Muzak drifted out to accompany the nervous pink wreck's stammering. Her eyes briefly seemed to snap into focus, slightly intensifying at Ryou's words.  
"Ichigo, she's absolutely mannerless. You /should/ get along just fine." Ichigo fumed at this, but was too busy trying to regain control of herself again to retort to the amusedly cocky expression on his face. "Find Zakuro and buy her some clothes. She certainly can't hang around all of the time in that old outfit. Maybe pawn it off, while you're at it…"

"B-b-bu-" Ichigo swallowed, in an instant regaining control. "WITH WHAT /MONEY! I'M JUST A TEEN AND YOU ONLY PAY US MINIMUM WAGE!--"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out." Oh, God. It was that smirk again. Not The Smirk. She turned berry-red, lost for words again.  
Ryou laughed at her (of course AT her. Is there ever at time he laughs when he ISN'T mocking somebody!), not whole-heartedly but enough to let her know that he was.

Licoris slowly computed the conversation, curiously looking between the two. "Help…with…I..chigo?" she questioned innocently, seeking she had chosen the right answer to some hidden question. Ryou nodded, still chuckling faintly. A second later, the smirk had vanished.

Without another word, he drew himself close to Licorice, pulling away her hair from her ear, the other looped about her shoulders, unplugging the headphones completely as he did so. Her eyes dimmed slightly at the loss of music, yet no hint of sadness took over. He touched her chin, making sure that the girl was paying attention, and tilted his head with a smile, hovering his face just above her thin jawline. Crystal blue eyes once again met opalescent. Lips nearly touching her ear, gold locks mingling with axinite, he whispered softly into the girl's ear for a moment, Licoris listening intently, unabashed.  
Whatever she would have felt, though, was made up sevenfold in poor Ichigo who was bright as a strawberry again. Wha-wha-wha-WHAT had been going on here while she was gone! After several seconds, he pulled away, giving her a serious nod. Licoris began to tilt her head again in her innocent fashion, but he straightened it with a shake of his head.

"She'll not speak much without her music," he drawled. "It seems she takes in everything she sees. She interacts better- or at all- when listening to it, but she's rather distracted. I'll be keeping your CD Player for future exercises."

"E-expirements! A-and you know all of this how?…"  
Ryou blinked, as if it were obvious. "You learn how to use your time wisely when you spend ten straight hours alone with a person."

"WHAT!" Ichigo resisted the urge to faint. Poor child, trapped with him that long! "What have you DONE to this girl?"

"Nothing that would cause permanent scarring."

"Why were you alone with her THAT LONG!"  
"I don't learn in public school, remember. Besides, she ended up sleeping on my doorstep. It would be cruel to just leave her out there- and besides, I'd hate to fill up your time by having you scrub the drool off the cement."  
Licoris watched this exchange of insults with interest.

"Why- you-" Ichigo scoffed, hotly grabbing the other girl's wrist and stomp away. "Fine! See if I wanna hang around you anyways!"  
Ryou watched the two go, shaking his head with a chuckle. Once again, he knew just what buttons to push to have her do exactly what he wanted her to. The naïve are so fun.

And, he couldn't help but add to himself, irresistibly cute when mad.

.--x--

"Ah!" the hospital secretary's head raised up as she saw the tall brunette walk through the front door, surprised. "Keiichiro-san, you're certainly here early today."

The man smiled sweetly, gathering his volunteer's outfit in his arms. "Oh, I couldn't sleep last night." He remembered Ryou fussing with the younger girl in the morning as he snuck out the back way to not disturb them. He laughed mentally at the adorably confused expression on his face as they played tug-of-war over Ichigo's CD player, the boy refusing to allow listening while she learned the 'proper way to drink herbal tea'. "I just woke up feeling particularly happy today, for some reason. Besides, you can never begin too early in helping others!"

"Well, that's always good to hear." The secretary smiled, nervously batting her hair over the ink imprinted on her face from sleeping on her paperwork. "We should be so lucky to ever find someone half as enthusiastic a nurse volunteer as you."

"Well, hopefully this isn't just first-week eagerness," he chuckled, slipping his white jacket over his crisp tailored shirt. She couldn't help but ogle as the twenty-something's brown hair fluttered softly around his neck as he buttoned it up. She was in the middle of imagining bishonen bubbles about his angelic face when her looked over at her curiously. "Something wrong?"  
"N-no!" the girl reddened, quickly hiding her face among the files. Keiichiro shook his head, trying not to grin at the girl's stammering. It reminded him of another girl he knew.

Sigh. "So, any news on the new comatose victims?"

She poked her eyes above the manilla folder, looking at him in embarrassment. "Y-you still want to watch over those guys?" He nodded. She calmed herself a little, fanning her face. "Well… it's odd. The press has been clamoring for any possible info. They're like wolves! Crazy as they are, though, nobody's a clue on what's wrong with them. And I mean, if the PRESS can't even think up anything to what happened to the victims…" she shook her head and shrugged. "Who can?"

Keiichiro's expression softened. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Hopefully, though, they'll figure it out soon, right?" She nodded eagerly, if not a little bit so to get the press off her back every two seconds for meetings- mostly, however, because Keiichiro was one sezzy beast- with CLASS. Ya don't find many of those these days, especially working a throwaway college job. Keiichiro cuffed his sleeves, looking himself once-over in the mirror. As she expected, it was spotlessly crisp and fit the man perfectly. Siigh "I think that's presentable enough." He turned back towards the younger girl, giving a nod and a smile. "My thanks again for lending me your time like this. I'm quite grateful. I hope you won't get into any trouble for telling me this…?"  
She waved a hand about airily, laughing loudly. "Oooh no, of course not! It's my pleasure, really. Now hurry with your work, now, I'd hate to keep your adoring audience waiting!"

As he walked away, she slumped deep into her seat, giving a deep sigh. "Jeez, Marie," she coached herself, "It's been four whole days. Ya think you could have a conversation with the guy without turning beet-red, already."

.--o--

;; Thank you for reading this big ol' thing. Bear with me, there'll be SOME semblance of a plot... it'll appear obvious... eventually.


	4. 4th Tangent

;.; Thank you for reading this big ol' thing. Bear with me, there'llbe SOMEsemblance of a plot... it'll appear obvious... eventually. Plus, action! By the, er, next chapter...()

* * *

"Go…shop-ping?" strangled out Licoris, who was currently being yanked behind a furious Ichigo as if on a leash.  
"Yeah, we'll show that brat who he is, ordering me around! He'll (muttergrowl)**pay for this**(snarlhiss) crap he gives me…" The pink princess was too busy being both enraged for herself and embarrassed for her tagalong. Honestly, was she just going to TAKE being harassed like that!  
Ichigo stopped in her tracks. Which'she' was she talking about?  
Licoris' head hung low, taking the lack of positive response she had chosen wrong. Cogs of response and reaction were only just beginning to whir to life, something about Ichigo telling her that she must try her hardest to learn…something. "Anata wa… Ichigo-chan, desune?"

"Huh?" Ichigo blinked, forgetting all about the poor girl she'd been dragging about as if she were Corina.  
"Ichigo…happy. Bright. Easily..ditzy?" She tilted her head, looking for confirmation of her accumulated information.

"Heyy, what do you mean by--"

"Warm…personality."

Blinkblink. Pause. Ichigo was at a loss for words- not an uncommon event in everyday life, but especially today. "Err…" Her glassy stare unnerved her. Bits of her hair fell right in the middle of her vision- she shouldn't be able to see a thing. Yetthe girljust kept staring forwards, right at her, wide-eyed. It was definitely unnatural. "…we're… going to see Zakuro," she muttered under her breath, changing her walking direction. Licoris glided after her noiselessly. Ichigo looked behind her, smiling confusedly. "What, no cookie-cutter profile for the superstar model?"

"No. He never mentioned Zakuro."

Ichigo's own eyes widened. "Who do you mean by- oof!" In standard Ichigo fashion, the girl ended up running directly into who she least wanted to meet, right in the way of the place she wanted to go. Things usually worked out that way. This time, instead of being an alien or mutated animal(or human, as the case may be), right into the same bodyguard she'd met months ago. He didn't look happy to see her.  
"Eheh… Hiiii again. You wouldn't happen to remember me, wouldja?" The man clicked his pen on the list of visitors, leering down. Obviously, he did.  
"Do you have your name on the list this time?" Ichigo blinked.  
"Aren't we permanently on it?"  
"'We?'"  
She looked over at her china-doll tagalong. Drat."Eheheheh… I mean, LETTUCE here is just trying out a new style," she one-arm glomped Licoris, who stared blankly at Ichigo's hand on her arm. She was getting lots of physical interaction today. "And we need to talk to Zakuro about… important stuff. Wasn't her shoot done yesterday?"  
"There were some… complications," the guard sighed, shaking his head exasperatingly. He looked as if he'd said something he shouldn't have. "W-with the chosen wardrobe, I mean," he added, stumbling over his own words. "The company's designer would have nothing to do with it. He's gone on a twelve-hour shopping spree, INSIDE THE STUDIO."

"Perfect!"  
"Not quite. WE don't leave until THEY finish."  
"Oh, sorry…"

"Shopping?" asked Licoris, quietly. However, she seemed to have ignored the existence of the bodyguard, staring straight at Ichigo's face again. The kitty-Mew found herself gradually getting used to her mannerisms. What was that jerk talking about? She was conversing just fine…sort of.  
Ichigo nodded to her, then turned back to her conversation. "Maybe we can help her? After all, we are her friends. I'm sure there's some way we could move it along…"  
The man looked frazzled. "Kid, if you did that for me, you and that weirdo would be on the list for LIFE if I had a say." Poor guy. Working for a needy woman like Zakuro with needier employees was harder than it looked! Not to mention when her supposed friends showed up with bubblegum pink hair and the other looking like a dead gothic marionette.

"Hold on…" He scanned the list again, brow knitting. "'Lettuce' is already here."  
"Oh. Hee. Really, now?"

"Yeeah."  
"I'll just be… going now… baibai!" Hoping to scram before the man changed his mind, Ichigo nabbed Licoris by the collar and scattled down the hallway towards Zakuro's dressing room. Or, at least, she hoped it was.()

.--x--

"Nnnononono, see, this will not DO!" Lettuce's legs wobbled as another three hangers were tossedto her. She tried her best to keep the pile in her arms upright, but when it's higher than your head it gets a bit difficult to maintain balance. "We need something fresh, something new… something that screams adorably mature!"

Zakuro rolled her eyes, filing her nails as she watched the tiny man with a French accent as thick as his skull scamper about the room, tossing his hands up n the air at regular intervals. "Honestly, I can't see what's wrong with the outfits you pre-chose yesterday."  
"zat whas ze then, zis ich ze now!" The man waggled his hand about, as if that had been so obvious it was an insult. Zakuro rolled her eyes.  
"Unless you pick an outfit soon, Francois, I'm sorry to say that we'll have to cancel this photoshoot."  
"NHONONONONONO!" This sent the poor guy into a frenzied panic, rushing over to grab the arms of her chair (touch ze Zakuro? Ach, madness, ah zay!), topping it off with the most pathetic puppy-dog face ever imaginable. The model tried her hardest not to cringe. "You muuust, you muuust stay, my dear. We achr counting on zyou to skyrocket our Primp in Pumps shoe line to ze staaaaaaaars wif our latescht ad!"  
"Then why is the OUTFIT the problem!"  
"Bechauuuse, zese regular Jappa-neesey folk, zey haff no sense of styyyyle." Once again he made that annoying swivel-motion with his hand beneath a coiffered nose. He tossed another shit behind him, sending Lettuce stumbling after it. "And besides, with Al gone my karma is completely thrown off! He usually doez all zee hard work..."  
"I-I'll get it!" Slowly,Retasu bent down to pick it up. The clothes wobbled.  
Zakuro, still caged in her chair by Francois ze Freaki, watched on with curious interest. Francois began to, er, well, Freakagain. "Z'do NOT drop zose clozeses! Zey cannae be meexed wif ze potential outfeets!"

Seeing as the potential outfits consisted of half a square mile of racks upon racks of clothes, there was little to worry about in that regard. A pair of lacy 'unmentionables' (now how did THAT get in there, I wonder?) slipped off the top. Lettuce made a grab for it, temporarily forgetting in her scatterbrained-ness that she was holding up the REST of the clothes with that hand. Cue a topple backwards. "Whoa!"  
Ever-conveniently placed in Masaya fashion (and had he had half a reason to be there besides Ichigo breathing in the same room, Aoyama would have appeared there himself without even knowing it, I'll bet you), a panting Ichigo burst through the door right there. Unfortunately, any view of her surroundings was blocked by a mountain of clothes that seemed to be avalanching…right… towards… her… "What the-!"  
Lettuce roughly knocked into Ichigo, sending them both to the ground had the cat-girl not had good enough reflexes to catch her before they could collide. Clothes fluttered all around them in a shower as they both regained their senses. Licoris popped her head in then, blinking as she looked about the room.  
"This is… not the café." As if confirming her observant statement, a flowered violet-blue sock flopped atop her head.

Francois stared for a moment at the wreckage; the dizzied girl with askew glasses flopped in a poor pink-haired girl's arms, the distinctly purple-and-mandarin-colored clothes splayed centrifugally about them, the gaudy sunflower knitting on the toes of the funky sock draped delicately over the equally strange girl's nose and right eye, and how she didn't seem to giveadamn.  
Something clicked.  
"AH'VE GOT EET!"

(No idea? Neither have I.XD;; )

o--

Zakuro turned, looking at herself in all directions of the mirror. Mainly, her butt. "Are you SURE this is your brilliant breakthrough?" she asked dryly. Surely she wanted to get out of here as soon as possible, but…

Francois nodded eagerly. "yes, yes, ze schoolchild oufteets ees tre magnifique, and quite popoolar weef ze Jappyneese. Yes?"  
"SchoolGIRLS, yes. I've never heard of school BOY outfits, though, let alone gym shorts…" The Wolf-teen fingered the black strap sneaking from her waist to mid-thigh, where it was secured with an odd band of black leather about each thigh. "I feel like I'm Tifa cosplaying again." Francois upturned her ruffled white blouse's collar, tut-tutting.  
"Do noght compare zees to zat sloot, zyou shall see BRILLIANCE! BRILLIANCE! Hohoho, zee how Francois can survive even weethout Amelia."  
Zakuro smiled sweetly, getting in-character for the camera. "Well, I do feel pretty silly with half my hair in a ponytail…" she placed a second hair-tye in her mouth and adjusted one of the stiletto heels to be perfectly halfway off her foot. Francois squealed in excitement, rushing to the front to get some floor-level pictures of cute ickel Zakuro in schoolboy shorts.

_"You wanna go, you wanna see, what lies could set you free…"_

"Shh! Licoris!"  
Francois looked over to the three girls, Pink Princess clamping her hand nervously about Creepy Girl's mouth.  
"Ah, s-so she's talking better today?" Lettuce caught the French-man's look, giving a little yelp and covering her own mouth. "Oop! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm- eep!" She clamped her hands about her mouth tighter as he gave an irritable grunt. Ichigo giggled. That was so like Lettuce.

Flash.  
"So… her name is Licoris?" Ichigo turned to look at Zakuro, who was boredly rolling her head to the side for the first pose. She looked awfully mature, even in such a bratty pose sitting on the floor. She nodded.  
Flash.

"Uhn. She sort of… appeared yesterday. Ryou, for some reason or another thought she was special or something and took her inside and spent all day with her doing some weird experiments to see if she was all there or something…" Her voice lowered to a mutter after the fourth or fifth word, looking belligerent as she pouted in rememberance. Licoris, who had been in deep thought since Lettuce had last spoken, looked sideways at Ichigo and gently yet firmly removed the hand from over her mouth.  
"I'm sorry?" she tried. Blink.  
"Err…"

Flash.  
"That still begs the question…" Zakuro interrupted the silence easily, laying on her back as she man hovered above her in a dolly. "Why did you visit me? Is the café's plumming leaking again? More importantly, why did you bring 'her' along? Ryou already sent Lettuce to tell me I wasn't being paid for missing work days." The green mew blushed slightly at this comment, hurriedly apologizing several times to Zakuro. "No, we've already been through this, it isn't your fault you follow your orders so literally." She waved a single hand around comically, and Lettuce couldn't help but giggle at the imitation of a certain short Frenchman. Licoris failed to see the humor. She looked at her own hand, practicing the swiveling motion of her wrist in the same manner of Zakuro's movement. Ichigo crept away slightly.  
"Oh! We're here because of that jerk, actually. He said I had to /clothe/ her. /Clothe! It's not like she's an utter invalid- well, maybe a little, but we're not…er… sure of that.. and…" she broke off, confused on what she was originally trying to say. Licoris wasn't offended. "Well, er, the point is, Licoris needs clothes."  
"Why can't she buy her own?"  
"As far as we know, she doesn't have any money or even a home. Really, she only started speaking in sentences today."

"Well, _goodness_."

Licoris blinked, computing the sarcasm. "Sentences… speaking is good." She nodded to herself, falling silent again. Zakuro was nonplussed.  
"Ryou sure knows how to pick his women."  
"What's THAT supposed to mean!"

"Nothing, nothing…" Zakuro chuckled lightly. She stood up, picking a dainty lace washcloth off her head as the shoot ended. "Francois, since these girls helped find your 'smash-hit idea', and since these clothes are all subpar for your work as well, why not let them pick out a few outfits for themselves? They'll clean up all of the clothing they dropped in return."  
The Frenchman rubbed his bony chin, pondering this thought. "Do ah geet to give mah opinyons?"  
"As many as you wish."  
"Free cleaning… helping ze youth of today… smash-heet adeahs zat are going to zend my new line zoaring… and charity credeet to boot! At least ah know ze outfeets weel haff good homes. You have yourself a deal, mademoiselle."  
Zakuro looked at his outstretched hand, giving in and shaking it politely. "The pleasure is all mine- as long as you promise me that next time, you STICK with the outfit you've chosen." She smirked at the small man. He nodded his head eagerly, zipping off already through the clothes to find outfits.  
"Yes, yes, won't happen again. Now, gels, lez go shopping!"

x--

Ichigo squealed as she looked through the racks and racks of clothes. "So beautiful! These are some definitely funky clothes, Mr., uh…Francois?" She pulled out a ruffled, 3-layered pink miniskirt, holding it to her hips.

"Yis, yis… ah choose all ze clothez. Ah searched all over ze world to find such beauties, from Japan to England to lovely France…" sigh. The man was actually a French Canadian, but who's keeping count? He adjusted his outrageous beret, twitching his nose. "Mees Zakuro, what iss ze names off your… 'friends'? How do you know zem?" He seemed to only be entertaining them because she had asked so politely, yet he attempted to show some semblance of interest.  
"I wouldn't exactly call them all friends…" she shot a meaningful look towards Licoris, who remained oblivious to what she meant. She was still looking about, bewildered, as if she ended up here by accident on her way to somewhere special. "That one is Ichigo. The shy one with the glasses is Lettuce. They are my colleagues in a part-time job of mine." Best to keep things simple and bland as possible.

"Ohohoh, I get your meaning." He wiggled his sharp mustache, winking. "Ze press ees around every corner, yes? But… vhat names are zose?" Ichigo was already yards away, drooling over an adorable cami with a 6-inch diameter sunflower pinned on the front with her kitten tail waggling excitedly. Lettuce bowed her head down, stammering. "Zyuu look nosink like ze lettuce! Izeberg lettuce, yis, but ve shall not name zyuu after a snackfood! Peh! Zuu arhe more like ze cabbage. Or ze broccoli. Mon Chou, ah weel call zyuu. Ze pink airhead, ah can see being a straw berry, but Fraise is such ah pretty vord. Ant weef ze cloze here, ve shall make you a pretty girl! Not so pretty as madame Zakuro, but of course, but ztill beyootiful. Chou, darlink, haff you ever zought of having a perm? You'd look older, and it would zuit you vell."  
"Ah-I—eh—" Poor Lettuce-slash-Chou sought for words, failing miserably. Having chatted long enough, Francois withdrew his face to look at the last girl, who inspected a canary yellow hat with some longing. He turned back to Zakuro, staring blankly.

"And ze spacey child?"

"No relation."

Licoris stretched out a hand, hesitantly reaching for the hat. It was snapped up from under her. "Nonono! Zyoo cannae haff zees. It is mon Al's favvoreet Accessoree for ze wimmen." For a brief moment, the girl looked almost as if she were going to cry. Her expression emptied once again, and she turned her head away, empty again. Francois stared for a moment, then squealed with glee. "Ooch, vhat a picturesque child! Zhe vaguely reminds me of you, Zakuro, weef her hair down…" He picked up a stray lock of hair, inspecting it. She didn't register the man's existence, still staring away, looking plaintive. "Ach, how refined. How Noir! Zhe reminds me of zose American models, except not sou bony. Zees one's ze one who needs clothing, yes?"  
Zakuro shrugged. Ichigo popped her head up from a lump of clothes. "Y-yes, she lost all of her clothes except for that outfit in a, er,… earthquake."

"Ooh, a Harajuku mistress. Eet ees just like one of ze old Gothic tales!" he clapped his hands together, trying to get Licoris to look at him straight in the eye. "And ze outfit- so dirty now, but utterly byootiful. May ah keep ze preety maid cosplay outfeet? Zoo may take as much cloze as zyoo vant." He looked at her expectantly. Licoris stared off into space, eyes empty.  
"…" One of the words seemed to have elicited some reaction. Slowly, she turned her head, hair pooling about her. "I miss… the café."

Francois trembled in excitement. "She even playz ze ROLE! Ach, what finesse!"  
Ichigo just stood by, looking confused. That didn't sound quite right, but if it stopped them from throwing her into the Asylum and having Ryou scream at her, she wasn't about to correct him. "Eto…"

"Wonderful! I haff ze perfect idea for you!" Away she was whisked, yanked once again after a funny person. "TO ZE DRESSING ROOMS! NOIR AWAY!"

o--


	5. 5th Tangent

Ryou typed away at the main computer, expectantly watching pulsating lights on a map. "They should appear at any time now…"

Keiichiro placed a hand on top of his black chair, following the signal as well. He didn't bother being surprised any more when Ryou knew he was coming. "Was it wise to put her in the middle of this already? You're only following a hunch. I trust your judgment, but if you're wrong…"  
"Don't worry, Ichigo can handle any bystanders. Lettuce is too worried about what others think of her as well to allow any 'outsiders' know, either." Ryou didn't look worried in the least. "Any confirmation on the latest victims?"

"No, not yet… they wouldn't let me stay close to them long enough, and they're a bit suspicious about me still. They took my application, but I think they're confused why someone like me would be volunteering at that type of facility."  
"Keep trying, if you can."

"I planned to." Keiichiro fell silent for a moment, watching the young teen type away fluidly on the worn keys. "Ryou… you've been much more focused on this theory than any I've seen you before. What's making you rush so much to understand this--"  
"Because I hope I'm wrong," he said grimly. He paused, turning around the chair to gaze steadily at his guardian. "The ramifications of what I'm guessing… they've never attacked this many before at one time. They're hiding something. No matter what the answer, I need to figure it out as fast as possible. I don't care _what_ gets in the way." His eyes narrowed. "Human or not, something isn't right about this. I'm not going to rest until I find out."

Keiichiro looked down, mulling this over. He smiled. "This is quite like you. When you focus yourself on something, you refuse to give up until you find out what you want. You know that no matter what, I'll still stand beside you." He paused. "Have you scanned her yet?"  
"'It'," he corrected coldly. "I'm not about to have anyone grow attachments to a thing like that. I haven't been able to track it down yet. Something's been chewing through the chords during the night…If there's a rat, we'll have to get rid of it ourselves." He smiled, grimly. "It isn't like we can just call an exterminator for here."

Keiichiro nodded, politely. "Well, I wish the best of luck to you. Are you going to keep watching until then?"  
Ryou waved him away, grinning normally again. "Yeah. It couldn't hurt to watch an entire battle myself, for once. Take a rest or something." Keiichiro chuckled.  
"Maybe I should go stock up on ingredients again? I might find a promising stray kitten to take home on the way."  
Ryou fumed, looking as if he were a second away from throwing something. "Oh… Just, just get out already!" Keiichiro laughed, ducking out quickly as he tossed an apology behind him. That man!

x--

"Fabulous, fabulous" Francois sang, twirling the girl about in circles. Unfortunately, nobody else agreed. They were thirteen outfits in, and Lettuce had finished her own 'shopping' by now. Ichigo was, amazingly, beginning to run out of steam herself. For the life of her, she couldn't comprehend why the man had thought canary yellow would look good on such a colorless girl, but it had taken two sundresses and a violently violet cami to make him realize she wasn't a very modern mannequin. Licoris had dressed and primped at command, though having trouble learning that she had to make sure ALL of her hair was out of her shirt- and pants, as long as it was. After a few more comments on her hair, Zakuro recommended they tie it back for now, at least. She ended with a long plait., which almost, but not quite, suited her. Zakuro had decided to just read a graphic novel in the meantime. Appropriately, Fruits Basket. Lettuce dutifully brought clothes that Francois ordered for directly to them, though she was having trouble understanding the clothing terms with his outraaageous accent. "No, no, a PLEAHHTED skirrt, PLEAHHTED. Gauche and baby-blue!"

"Plates, babies and what?" despaired the girl, who wasn't understanding a single term. Heck, she didn't even understand the word Tube Top, so it was to be expected.

"Ach! You have no idea of what fashion ees, do zoo?" The man claws his balding hair, beret askew even more. Zakuro flipped a page, boredly.  
"Who... is she?"  
"Hm?" The teenaged model looked up to find a black-haired child in a butchered kimono top and a skirt with demonic pandas parading over it lean over her novel. She pointed a stubby-nailed finger at one of the characters chatting with ditzy Tohru and Kyo, the neko Juunishi, about onigiri for a fundraiser. "Her? That's Hanajima Saki. Hana-chan." The gothic _denpa_-weilding high schooler certainly stood out in the print; her solid black clothes made her figure little more than a shadow on print, the detail of slightly Medieval-styled clothing with added artistic flair blossoming in the page's background. "She's the usual silent gothic archetype, at a brief glimpse." Licoris' eyes hung on the picture a moment longer. She couldn't read the words, but she could understand the pictures. Archetype… The apathetic inked eyes boredly locked on the cat-eared Sohma stirred something. She wasn't sure what. Zakuro looked at the frozen girl, curious. Lettuce, Ichigo and Francois raged in a battle of words in the background. "Is there something else you want?"  
Her eyes snapped up. "Do you always smile on cue?" The woman pulled her head back a little, surprised at the statement.  
"What are you talking about?" she replied coolly, as always.

"You smiled. Frowned. Boredom. Giddiness. Politeness. Manners. Uncouth behavior." She was vaguely aware that the words she used were pulled up from her morning's 'conversation', yet it was disregarded. "You swapped them at the funny man's command. Are emotions that easy to play with?"

Zakuro paused, shutting her book with a sigh as her eyes closed. "Look, kid. I'm not aware of what exactly happened to you, or where you're from… but there is a thing known as acting." She opened one eye to look at her with warning. "Acting is a dangerous game. I'm paid to pretend I enjoy what I do. If you even attempt to keep such a façade up all of the time, you will end up burning."  
Licoris didn't blink.

"Remember that."  
"You're using her expression."  
"Hm?"  
"Hana-chan. From your picture book. You're borrowing her eyes' expression."  
"Unfortunately… I'm not. This is the ugly truth of the matter." She looked at the girl with all seriousness, quite aware of the uneasy feeling of unnaturalness about her. "I do not want to be here any longer than I have to. For my friends, I allowed you to indulge. Now, if you would please hurry up, we all have much better things to do with our time than await for that 'funny man' over there to find the proper clothing to make you look like a living floral arrangement." She twitched, vaguely. "And please, do something with your hair. You look…ominous."

There was a crash beyond the room's doors.

Ichigo looked up with her and Francois' tug-of-war over a particularly revealing two-piece, suddenly alert. There was a hiss as smoke curled through the entryway. There was a distant laugh that chilled her immediately. She knew that laugh.

A shadow flicked by the open doorway.

"A Chimera---!"  
Fortunately, Francois wasn't getting the hint. He looked accusingly at Ichigo, as if this were her fault. "Fraise, I simply cannot allow any more of your friends popping up. Go zee zem outside. Zakuro dahlink ah luff you but zere ees only zo much ah kin take. Unt tell Herbert zat eef he letz VUN MORE OFF ZOO ZSROUGH HERE ZAT AH VEEL GET VERY ANGRY—"

There was a resounding roar.

The Frenchman let out a strangled squeak. "Er, yes," he strangled out, starting a coughing fit. "Like zat."  
With all of her childish might, Ichigo hoped that the bodyguard outside had just broken the coffee machine. From the sound of it, it didn't seem likely.

o—

"How the heck…" Ichigo bit her lip, emotions conflicted. While it is very good and acceptable for even 3rd Graders to use curse words such as the variety as 'fuck', 'shit', 'hell', 'dammit'(mostly 'damn' or 'shit', but meh. Kusooo!), such colorful language is limited to older, badass punk-wannabes or guys with more hair on their back than head. Therefore, she is stuck with the tamed garden variety, which makes her look absolutely silly saying no matter what it was originally derived from. Just so you know why I'm bothering with them.

"Ichigo?" She knocked herself out of her inner thoughts and turned to see an innocently blithe girl in a panda skirt looking at her expectantly. The poor girl would have no way to know of what was going on…and Francois was just randomly guessing at possible answers. Some of the more outrageous comments just border on the groan-worthy, so I'll save time and space by not bothering with the petty things. A-hem.

Zakuro nodded, understanding the situation. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, we'll have a chat with our…friend."  
"Well, this doesn't mean you can all go leave me alone at once!" he huffed, hands on his scrawny hips. Lettuce stammered.  
"I-I could always stay here and…"  
"No, Lettuce. It's not your job." Zakuro waved a tired hand, though she'd done little but sit in her chair for three hours straight. Lettuce nodded nervously, always twitchy before a battle.  
"Y-Yes, you're probably more reliable…"  
"That's also part of the reason."  
"Ah. I see."  
"Well?"  
"W-well what?"  
"sigh Get going!"  
Francois and Licoris, the eternal onlooker(s), stood/sat there(respectively) as the two had a one-sided conversation. Ichigo and Lettuce quickly beat it out of the room. The hissing grew louder.

A water pipe was hissing. In the convulsions most newly-created anima experience, the fresh one had taken a violent turn for the worse. It was definitely not a happy bunny, whatever it was.

"I'm sure we're alone enough now. Time to transform!"  
Cue sparkly shojo scenes. I could describe it, y'know, but it's just gonna pop up again later. I'll save you the action sequence.

A brief flash of dissipating hexagonal lights and two sound-tracks later; a low, carefree laugh filled the air.  
"Why, how immodest of you two! Changing in the middle of a hallway like that, where innocent bystanders could just walk on by!" A shadow floated in the mist, arms crossed. The voice, paired with his continuing rabble, made the figure no mystery. Ichigo growled. "How _dirty_ you girls are."

"Kisshu!" Ichigo snarled, looking peeved. "Why do you always have to appear at the worst moments!"

"A bad time, a bad time…" A playful pout was audible in his adorable tone. "When is there ever going to be a time for us, Ichi-chan?"  
"Never, hopefully!" 'Mew' Ichigo dashed forwards and swung out an arm at the shadow, which deftly leaned to the left and avoided the attack easily.  
"Ah, stubborn as ever." He grinned in the darkness, lips moist from the spreading mist about them. He teleported several feet up, poised midair for spring. "That's okay. See, I'm thinking it's time that you and me saw some other people. Y'know, make new friends." He giggled at this statement, oddly enough. He was having fun teasing her- as always, ne? "I think we both need some space. Show you how much you'll really miss me. Sooo, try to live without me for awhile, 'kay?"  
There was a crash behind the two girls, much like a heavy object ramming into a wall. Tiny cackles laced the alien's undertones still. "Ah, but don't worry. I'll keep sending you little 'gifts' often to remember me by. I just _know _they'll drive you **wild**.♥"

"You can KEEP your stupid gifts!" Ichigo aimed at him for an attack, quite riled already. Kisshu promptly disappeared from sight, and didn't disappear again. Lettuce tried to say something, but was lost in the din of their argument. The pink kitten looked all around, disoriented in the rolling mists. "Kisshu! Where are you!"  
There was a chuckle beside her human ear. Quietly, he whispered breathily to her, sending tingles down her Iriomote-infused spine. "I told you, I have to go! But I'll be back- eventually. I always will be." She swung out a hand wildly at him, giving a tiny scream, but he was already back in the air again. "I _do_ so hate to leave on a bad note," he said, tone dripping with sadness in his characteristic acting. "But then…if we separate after a little Lover's Spat, then I suppose that would give us an excuse to kiss and make up. Ne?♥" Slit golden eyes glowed maliciously in the dark. Ichigo shuddered, still attempting to control the shivers coursing through her. "Bai bai, kitten!" And with that, he was gone.  
Ichigo finally controlled herself to stutter out something amidst her obliviousness of the growling behind her. "K-k-k-KISH!" She wailed loudly, trying not to buckle on the floor in anger and frustration. It was too late.

"LETTUCE RUSH!"  
A tidal wave of water, intensified by the steam about them piled just behind Ichigo, who stumbled forwards at the force. A twelve-foot bear-like Chimera Animal with a tie flipped coquettishly on his bulging brown shoulder was now slumped onto the ground (which meant he entirely blocked the huge hallway, caging in the two Mew Mews. Still, this was better than having Lettuce chase after Ichigo's nearly decapitated skull.). Ichigo whimpered.

Whoa. THAT was close. "Thanks…"

Lettuce nodded, smiling dimly. "Sorry, I tried to warn you…"  
Muscles rippled, sending a thumping heartbeat reverberating through the mist. Tendons convulsed, and slowly, laboriously, the behemoth rose again. Its distorted maw was curled up into a hideous snarl, foaming saliva dripping from its blood-red jowls. Black eyes gleamed('is eyes! Like gimlets!). Nobody was going to get past THIS guy if they weren't on the list, that's for sure.

Ichigo and Lettuce wisely took a step back. The Cat-Girl swallowed, trying her best to think up something humorous for the moment that sounded like it could actually be said in the show without the author having handcuffs slapped on her.

"Eh… think he'll calm down if we hand over a picnic basket?"

…

/corny dub dialogue

"I don't think he's hungry…" Lettuce said timidly, clutching her castanets closely to her chest. Ichigo paled. "Or, at least, I hope he's not… I didn't bring any extra sandwiches, anyways."

Behhh. Who said the bespectacled shy girls were always smart?

Ichigo quickly busied herself with (_trying_ to) formulating as close to as even half-baked a plan as the poor ditz could. Lettuce wished she'd have had the spine to stay home today. Both thought it would be REALLY nice if Zakuro was here right now. Unfortunately for all, they lacked both brain, backbone, and an exceptionally sharp (for a model, hey!) supermodel (quite literally) crime-fighting (er sorta not but eh) badass… who was currently ignoring a prattling Canadian and reading about half-german crossdressing middleschoolers turn into adorable yellow rabbits from hugging an onigiri girl. Ohohohoho, Momiji-kun, is there no situation you cannot brighten?

In short: 'Were screwed'.

x--

Had Licoris even known such an action existed, she would have been kicking her legs rhythmically, waiting for the other girls to return. This would have been a perfect moment to shop some more and actually FIND some outfits that WORKED, but unfortunately, they weren't allowed out of the general vicinity of Zakuro. Francois was busy trying to look offended instead of afraid, but his mind kept wandering away to another matter. She noticed this. She also noticed the total lack of worry on Zakuro's face. She might have not been around for long, but she certainly knew explosive enterings weren't supposed to be /that/ large.  
She strained out an ear, hearing people talk. Well, there is someone. Ichigo didn't sound happy.

Nervous mutterings of a mousy Lettuce, pealing whines and screeches of the bubblegum-brained Ichigo (she hadn't learned about Masaya yet, of course), and then... the low tones of someone else. It began as light, airy laughter. Her ears rang.

The noise drizzled in volume slowly, until for a moment all was silent. Something inside of her began to lie in sleep again. Then came the laughter. Not the laughter from before… no, this was different.

It was chillingly harmonic.

This would have meant little except for a stirring inside, until someone had forgotten about the others in the next room. She screamed. The noise reverberated through the mist, clanging through the air like wind-chimes on the bottom of a pan. A stuttered echo in reverse.

**_"KISH!" _**

The sound died as soon as it met her cold ears.

Something pulsed beneath the surface, a thousand and one screams of identical, spiked emotion rang from deep within, as if tugging to get outside- or inside- of her body.

Her skin rippled at whatever had abruptly woken, a similar yet completely uncopied version of what she had witnessed at her farewell to Ryou. She would later find out this was called a 'shiver'.

With inhuman quickness, she impulsively floated to her feet. Zakuro had, of course, heard the noise as well, but the reaction was for Licoris only. How did she hear such a faint noise? Francois was befuddled. All he had heard was a thinly-strung squeal. He was more surprised that a mouse would even FIND his way into THIS high-end establishment. He would certainly take it up with the managers posthaste…  
"Zyoo afraid of ze mice zat much?"

With alarming quickness, Licoris snapped her head around to stare straight at him. More startling was that she had never moved so quickly in the entire life they'd known her. It looked as if her slender, brittle neck would have broken in two at the motion, and the accompanying actual 'snap' made from her bones did NOT help matters. Francois winced, visibly.

Zakuro hadn't put down her book and stood up before the girl had disappeared in a flash into a rack of clothes. The model was alarmed. Oh, HELL, if she was thinking about going even NEAR the battle… She was about to dash off, when Francois made a strangled squeak. There was a noise as loud as a waterfall just outside the hall.  
Bloody… **sigh**.

"Stay here," she ordered with such vehemence he shrunk back at the very glare. The woman was off between the coat racks, tail flicking beneath her (thankfully) long trench coat. This week was definitely a manifested Murphy's Law, Francois thought miserably. Nothing could possibly have gone worse if he had TRIED. If only _he_ would wake up soon, it would all be better…it all started after his, er, 'accident', anyways! Curse those artistic ones.

o--  
(I hate to extend this to yet another section, but my rambliness got out of control. Only two more at most and this flippin' battle'll be over. Promise!)


End file.
